By Alexa Devore
Youngstown State University’s Women and Gender Studies club will be travelling to Washington D.C. on Jan. 21 next year to participate in the Women’s March on Washington.
This trip is being funding by the Youngstown State University College of Liberal Arts and Social Science. Amanda Fehlbaum, professor of sociology, anthropology and gerontology, said it’s a march for women but men are permitted to join.
People from all over the country will be attending this march. Fehlbaum said the event is held to show support for the protection of women’s rights, safety, families and the environment.
“January 21 is President-Elect Donald Trump’s first day in office and the march is meant to send a message to the new administration that women’s rights are human rights,” Fehlbaum said.
Marissa Gray, a YSU English student, said attending the march shows the students’ commitment to make social progress. She said it will be a “powerful experience” for YSU students.
“By uniting as a group and attending a national event, not only are we mobilizing our fellow students, we are supporting one another and negotiating what has the potential to be four depressing years,” Gray said.
Gray said she is also very grateful for the dedicated work that the YSU faculty for making this event possible to attend.
Katie Morrison, YSU student, said while the march is not anti-Trump she hopes it shows that women will be heard throughout the next four years of his presidency.
“I want to be treated equally when it comes to things like fair pay,” she said. “I hope this administration understands that much of the policies Donald Trump plans on enacting has negative effects not only on women in general but women of color.”
Morrison said her reason for attending the march is to demonstrate her support of women’s rights and equality.
“I hope this march is inclusive and puts women of color at the forefront because of how policy put in place by conservatives directly hurts them,” Morrison said.
She said the march will be very successful but wants other people to understand that they need to be persistent to get their goals accomplished. She encouraged other people who are concerned about women’s rights and equality to join the march.
Lindsey Heldreth, member of the YSU Women and Gender Studies club, will be attending the march to show her support.
“I think it’s a powerful demonstration of the ability of the women’s rights movement to organize,” Heldreth said.